Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a retractable safety flag holder and mounting assembly that is adapted to removably attach to the inside of the truck bed or trunk of a vehicle carrying an oversized load. The flag holder and mounting assembly comprises a compact housing member with a hollow interior that is adapted to store the safety flag therein when it is not in use. In this way, the present invention may be easily stored or mounted as needed, providing flexibility to the user.
Oversized loads are special case shipments that exceed the operational parameters defined by each state. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, any commercial motor vehicle handling an oversized load or wide load is required to use wide load signs, safety flags, or wide load banners. More specifically, safety flags must be positioned at the extreme rear of the projecting load. Flags must be located to indicate maximum width of loads which extend beyond the sides and/or rear of the vehicle. In this way, the edges of any oversized load is marked to make them visible to drivers. Safety flags help protect the oversized load, and warns and protects other roadway users.
When using safety flags, the flags must be properly secured to the load so that it can travel against the wind and at high speeds on a moving vehicle. Traditional vehicle safety flags comprise a planar sheet of fabric that is affixed to a rigid support structure such as a pole or a frame that hold the flag thereon. The support structures are generally used in conjunction with a mounting bracket or other types of attachment means so that the flag may be secured onto the vehicle or the projecting load. The mounting brackets and other types of attachment means are inconvenient to install and remain permanently affixed to the vehicle.
Additionally, the flags must be stored after each use and kept accessible so that it may be used when transporting another oversized load at a later time. Many users, however, neglect to properly store the flags because it is inconvenient. Moreover, it is impracticable to use the same flag as used for a first vehicle on a second vehicle if the second vehicle does not have a flag mounting bracket or another type of attachment means that may be used with the flag.
The present invention is a combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag that is designed to removably mount to the inside of a trunk or a truck bed of a vehicle where needed, without requiring additional attachment means. The elongated cord of the present invention allows for a placement of a vehicle safety flag on the extreme rear of the projecting load with the housing mounted flush with the surface of the vehicle. The present combination mounting and storing device is installable onto various locations on the vehicle, including within the truck bed, fender, or trunk of the vehicle. Use of the present invention allows a user to easily secure a vehicle safety flag on any vehicle transporting an oversized load. Further, the present invention secures the flag in place inside the housing and retains it so that the device may be easily stored. The present invention is ideal for use with commercial vehicles as well as boats, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, and other vehicles.
The primary advantage of the present invention is not only its outward compact design and the installation methods associated with the mounting of the device, but more specifically the retractable feature associated with the bobbin disposed within the housing. The bobbin allows the cord to extend so that the flag may be secured to the extreme end of the load while the housing is mounted on the vehicle. Alternatively, the bobbin retracts the cord so that the cord can wrap around the reel of the bobbin and the flag may be stored within the housing. In this way, the cord is prevented from becoming tangled in between uses.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to vehicle safety flag mounts. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. Some of these patents describe a flag that includes a tether with a loop at the end. The loop and tether can be attached to a large load that is being carried by a vehicle. Another patent describes a flag that is attached to a pulley for extending and retracting based on the size of the load being carried. These devices, however, do not include a casing that stores a retractable flag and a magnet adapted to mount the casing to a vehicle. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,496 to Gheris discloses a flagging device comprising a square shaped planar sheet of fabric-like material and an elongated cord. The cord has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the planar sheet of fabric-like material and the second end comprises a loop. The loop is used to create a slipknot so as to secure the flagging device to a piece of equipment. Unlike the present invention, however, Gheris does not disclose a flag holder that is adapted to store the flag when it is not in use. Additionally, Gheris does not include a mounting assembly that is adapted to attach to the truck bed or trunk of a vehicle so that the flag may be securely attached to the vehicle that is transporting the oversized load. In contrast, the present invention provides a flag holder that includes a housing member adapted to store a safety flat therein. Additionally, the present invention includes attachment means such as a magnet to mount onto the vehicle. Accordingly, the present invention provides convenience to the user when storing and mounting the safety flag.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,520 to Challoner discloses a warning signal for trucks. The device comprises a square shaped flag that is attached to a retractable cord wounded around a spring held reel. The flag end of the device also comprises a hook that is adapted to secure the flag onto the rear of the truck. When in use, a user extends the cord until the hook can reach the fender of the truck. Thereafter, the cord is retracted until the hook wedges against the reel, thereby positioning the flag close to the reel. While Challoner discloses a warning signal having a retractable feature, the device of Challoner is limited in the fact that the spring held reel must be affixed to the rear of a vehicle, which is disposed under the oversized load that extend beyond the rear of the vehicle. Accordingly, the reel and the flag is not easily accessible to the user when the load is placed on the vehicle. In contrast, the combination mounting and storing device of the present invention is adapted to removably mount to the trunk or the truck bed of a vehicle. In this way, the device may be mounted where it is easily accessible to the user. Additionally, the present invention may be used on different vehicles if another vehicle is used to transport the oversized load.
Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,355 to LeBlanc discloses a tail flag assembly for use on a rear end of a utility pole of a pole trailer. The tail flag assembly comprises a ring mountable over the rear end of the pole and a plurality of screws extending radially through the ring for clamping the ring onto the rear end of the pole. The tail flag assembly further comprises a plurality of staffs affixed to the ring and extending outwardly tangentially from the ring, with each staff having a rectangular brightly colored flag affixed thereto. Each staff is made of a flexible material and is pliable for engagement under the crossbar handle of one of the screws. Thus, the staffs may be bent and engaged under a respective crossbar handle, so that the flag assembly may be stowed in a tool compartment of a utility truck. While LeBlanc discloses a mounting assembly for safety flags, the design of the device of LeBlanc may only be used with an oversized load that has a round cross section. More specifically, the diameter of the cross section of the load must be less than the diameter of the ring portion of the device so that the device may fit around the load. In contrast, the present invention provides a flexible cord that is adapted to secure a safety flag onto the oversized load of various shapes and sizes. In this way, the present invention may be used with a variety of oversized loads.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,552 to Dover discloses a caution flag for water sports safety. The device comprise a housing unit having a hollow cylinder shape that is adapted to receive a flag pole. The housing unit also includes an open first end and a closed second end, wherein the second end has a compression spring that is compressed when the flag pole is pushed down from the first end. The flag pole locks the compression spring in place, or in a retracted position via a trigger lever, which is also engaged to unlock the compression spring to extend the flag pole in a warning position. While Dover discloses a safety flag having a retractable feature, the purpose and design of the device of Dover differs from the present invention. The housing unit is not adapted to receive the flag therein. Additionally, the flag pole requires a flag pole bracket or a similar device adapted to hold the flag pole thereon. The present invention provides a combination mounting and storing device that stores the flag when it is not in use. Additionally, the present invention may be mounted on any part of a vehicle without the need to use a bracket or a similar device.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art fails to disclose a combination device adapted for storing and mounting a safety flag for marking oversized loads being transported on a vehicle. The present invention discloses a combination mounting and storing device that is convenient to use when storing or mounting the safety flag. More specifically, the present invention comprises a housing member having a hollow interior that is adapted to store the retracted cord and a safety flag attached thereto. Additionally, the bottom end of the housing member comprises attachment means such as a magnet that allows a user to removably attach the present invention to various locations on the vehicle. It is therefore submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing vehicle safety flag mounts. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.